Clinical and Laboratory Observations on Patients from a Nursing Home Outbreak of Verotoxin-Producing E Coli (157:H7 Strain)

Beginning on September 7, 1985, an outbreak of bloody diarrhea affected 53 of 169 residents of a London, Ontario nursing home. The most severely affected patients were transferred to local general hospitals under the care of a number of physicians for investigation and treatment. Overall, 19 patients died during the outbreak. Clinical and laboratory information on the 18 patients admitted to this institution are reported. A majority of these patients had either verotoxin detected in focal extracts or Escherichia coli 0157:H7 isolated from their stools. The mortality rare at this institution exceeded 75% (14 patients). Six patients developed hemolytic uremic syndrome and none of these survived the illness.